Speaking of chocolate, I use raw cacao powder in this recipe. It’s basically the purest form of unprocessed chocolate, all powdered up. Plain cocoa powder is also beneficial – it’s just processed at a higher heat and can lose some of the purity of the nutritional value.

Dark Chocolate Protein Spread

Ingredients:

(you're welcome to try this with a vegan or plant based protein - the consistency of collagen protein really makes this recipe work, but do let me know if you try an alternative and how it does!)

2 T nut butter of your choice (can also use Sunbutter for nut-free) I usually rotate between cashew butter, almond butter and walnut butter - if you can find hazelnut butter you'll have a real Nutella experience 🙂

1-2 T water

Instructions:

1: In a small bowl, stir together cacao powder and collagen protein. If you take any powdered supplements, like a glutamine powder, you can also mix that in.

2: Add your nut butter. It's best if it's slightly soft. I usually buy nut butter packets that I keep for this exact purpose, as one packet is the perfect amount for your mixture - but you can also just scoop it right out of the jar.

3: Drizzle in about 1-2 T water. Then stir. You'll be able to tell if you need to add a little more water. Too much water and it will be runny (but still delicious). Too little water and it won't combine completely.

Some more of the back story around what prompted me to try to create something new – it was actually my health.

I first created the Body Fuel System after having gone through a real health scare. I was in my early 30’s at the time, and my energy had completely dropped off the charts. I was having trouble sleeping, I had no power for my workouts, and I was tired constantly.

Back then, I was overtraining, under eating and reaching for a lot of pre-made shortcut options and what I thought healthy foods were.

There was a lot of added sugar, processed foods, endless salads and things that sounded like they’d make me “skinny” – but actually didn’t provide me with the energy I needed to be truly healthy and fit.

You may have experienced something like this at some point in your life, or know someone who has (be sure to tell me about it in the comments section).

I went to my naturopath and after blood testing, they determined I had adrenal fatigue and my hormones were out of whack.

In addition to working with my doctor to bring my hormones back into alignment, I also began to research and put together recipes and protocols for myself that were based on my original college studies of nutrition in indigenous cultures.

Along the way I started this blog, and was invited to teach cooking classes at Whole Foods Market after a store employee lost 50 pounds in one year from reading the blog and using my recipes (you can read my 5-Step Food Prep and Recipe Guide here, and watch a video of that very employee introducing me to a cooking class)!

The Body Fuel System followed soon after, and I’ve been turning out healthy recipes and easily accessible workouts ever since.

This year I turned 40, and about halfway through the year, my energy dropped. It wasn’t anything like what I experienced when I was younger but it concerned me, and I immediately looked at my diet.

If you’re in Rock Your Life, you probably heard me talk in class about the blood and gut biome testing I did that gave me some amazing data. It turned out, I was deficient in a few key vitamins – and I was having a reaction to eggs.

No matter how healthy you are, it’s always a good idea to pay attention to how you’re feeling, as the body is always in a dynamic state of adaptation, which is why I say there isn’t one “perfect diet” for everyone. Different things work for different people at different times.

My MD and ND both advised a break from eggs for me 6 months, to allow my body to reset itself (along with some custom vitamins to help balance me out) and I happily went back to my kitchen to try concocting some new recipes with various ingredients that would meet my nutrient needs – which is really where this recipe came from!

So whether you’re looking for an alternative to eggs, looking for a new delicious spread, or just LOVE chocolate – enjoy this and let me know how it goes and what you have it with!

Drop me a line below and join the conversation, and if you enjoyed this post share it with friends!

Steinberg, FM, et al. “Cocoa and chocolate flavonoids: implications for cardiovascular health.” US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. February 2003. Web.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12589329